Supporting Conditional Security With Scripture?

Q. I came across a website that opposes Eternal Security. The author has a lot to say and has scripture references to back up everything he says. I’d like to know what you think and maybe point out anything wrong with his opinion. I am really beginning to doubt the OSAS doctrine and honestly question why the Gospel is even called the Good news.

A. When a person uses scripture to back up what he says, it’s our job to look up the Scripture and see if he’s interpreting it correctly. One of the ways to tell is to compare it with other scriptures on the same subject. There are several absolutely clear passages that give us God’s view of our security in Him. For example John 10:27-30 tells us no one can take us out of His or His father’s hands. Romans 8:38-39 says nothing can separate us from His love. Ephesians 1:13-14 says when we first believed, God sent His Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, 2 Cor. 1:21-22 says God set His seal of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our heart guaranteeing what is to come. In short we are His and there’s no power in Heaven, on Earth, or under the Earth that can change that, either in the present or in the future.

God cannot lie. He can’t say one thing in one place and something else in another. His word has to be consistent. Therefore we can always use His clearest statements to help us understand statements that aren’t as clear. I don’t need to read what this other fellow has to say to know he’s wrong. He may just be confused or he may be deliberately trying to mislead people but the result is the same. If he’s saying we don’t have eternal security he is disputing these clear verses that say we do.

The Gospel is called good news because when Jesus went to the cross He forgave us all our sins (Colossians 2:13-14), and made us perfect forever (Hebr. 10:14), a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) as righteous as He is (2 Cor. 5:21). This righteousness is not dependent on our behavior but comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). If you take eternal security away from the gospel, then you’re right. It no longer is good news because none of us could ever hope to keep ourselves saved.

(To read everything I’ve written on Eternal Security, go to the home page and click on Articles on the top menu. Then look down through the Browse by Tag list for Once Saved Always Saved and click on it. )

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